Centre d'applications et de recherches en télédétection (CARTEL, Université de Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada)

Yannick Huot - CARTEL research member (Director)

Associate Professor

Canada Research Chair in Earth Observation and Phytoplankton Ecophysiology

Research program

The ubiquitous phytoplankton are microscopic photosynthetic organisms floating throughout the global ocean which form the base of the marine food web. In my research program, I investigate how environmental changes influence phytoplankton growth and their physiology. I use a variety of scientific approaches ranging from satellite remote sensing to the measurement of molecular biological processes within cells.

Keywords - Biological oceanography, ocean optics, phytoplankton, ocean color, remote sensing, chlorophyll fluorescence, sun-induced fluorescence, primary productivity, photosynthesis, limnology, autonomous observations

Current projects

1. Ecophysiology of Phytoplankton Succession, Growth and Primary Productivity across Aquatic Ecosystems

Duration: 06/2009 - 06/2014
Funding source:
Discovery Grant - Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)

Remote sensing will be used: 1) to study the natural fluorescence of phytoplankton, and 2) to study second order variability in ocean colour. My objective is to evaluate the possibilities for obtaining information on phytoplankton beyond estimates of their biomass.

2. Canada Research Chair in Phytoplankton Ecophysiology and Earth Observation

Duration: 01/2009 - 06/2013
Funding source:
Canada Research Chairs (CRC)

The objective of this Canada Research Chair is to advance our scientific understanding of how environmental changes affect the growth and succession of phytoplanktonic species. Several approaches will be used in the research projects carried out through the Chair: field experiments, laboratory experiments, numerical models and remote sensing.

Yannick Huot's lake profiler 3. Automated Lake Observatory System of Plankton and their Abiotic Controlling Factors

Duration: 01/2009 - 01/2012
Funding source:
Leaders Opportunity Fund - Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI)

Our main objective is to observe phytoplankton and the factors influencing their growth at high temporal and spatial resolution. Our goal is to understand the factors influencing the growth of different phytoplankton groups (ex. cyanobacteria and diatoms).

(Image at right: Deployment of the instrumented profiling platform for the Lake Montjoie observatory.)

4. Description and Validation of a Coupled Fluorescence and Photophysiology Model of Phytoplankton

Duration: 05/2009 - 05/2011
Funding source:
Établissement de nouveaux chercheurs (ENC), Fonds Québécois de la Recherche sur la Nature et les Technologies (FQRNT)

To understand the variability observed in the natural fluorescence of chlorophyll in the ocean, we will develop a photophysiological model of phytoplankton that will be validated using laboratory experiments.

5. Malina project (PI : Marcel Babin)

Duration: 05/2009 - 05/2011
Funding source:
Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR), Centre national d'études spatiales (CNES), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), National Science Foundation (NSF)

The objective of this project is to determine how arctic marine ecosystems respond to climate change and new anthropogenic pressures.

Current research highlights

Postdoctoral Researchers and Graduate Students

Jennifer Marie-Rose Vandenhecke (Postdoctoral researcher)
Bruno Courtemanche (Master's student)
Marc-André Faucher (Master's student)
Maxime Fradette (Master's student)
Carina Poulin (Master's student)

Other activities

Member of GRIL (Group for Interuniversity Research in Limnology and aquatic environment)

Publications

Zhang, X., Huot, Y., Gray, D.J., Weidemann, Rhea, W.J. (2013) Inversion of the volume scattering function and spectral absorption in coastal waters with biogeochemical implications, Biogeosciences Discussions.

2013

Huot, Y., Babin, M., Bruyant, F. (2013) Photosynthetic parameters in the Beaufort Sea in relation to the phytoplankton community structure, Biogeosciences, 10, pp. 3445-3454. doi:10.5194/bg-10-3445-2013
Huot, Y., Franz, B.J., Fradette, M. (2013) Estimating variability in the quantum yield of Sun-induced chlorophyll fluorescence: A global analysis of oceanic waters, Remote Sensing of Environment, 132:238-253, 10.1016/j.rse.2013.01.003

2012

Cullen, J. J., R. F. Davis, and Y. Huot, (2012) Spectral model of depth-integrated water column photosynthesis and its inhibition by ultraviolet radiation, Global Biogeochem. Cycles, 26,GB1011, doi:10.1029/2010GB003914.
Simis, S.G.H., Huot, Y., Babin, M., Seppälä, J., Metsamaa, L. (2012) Optimization of variable fluorescence measurements of phytoplankton communities with cyanobacteria. Photosynthesis Research, 112 (1) pp. 13-30.
Zhang, X., Gray, D.J., Huot, Y., You, Y., Bi, L. (2012) Comparison of optically derived particle size distributions: Scattering over the full angular range versus diffraction at near forward angles. Applied Optics, 51 (21) pp. 5085-5099.

2011

Gernez, P., Antoine, D. and Huot, Y. (2011) Diel cycles of the particulate beam attenuation coefficient under varying trophic conditions in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea: Observations and modeling, Limnology and Oceanography 56(1), p. 17-36.
Matsuoka, A., V. Hill, Y. Huot, M. Babin and A. Bricaud (2011) Seasonal variability in the light absorption properties of western Arctic waters: Parameterization of the individual components of absorption for ocean color applications. Journal of Geophysical Research, 116, C02007, doi:10.1029/2009JC005594.

2010

Huot, Y. and Babin, M. (2010) Overview of fluorescence protocols : Theory, basic concepts, and practice. Chap. 3, p. 31-74, in Suggett, D., Borowitzka, M.A. and Prasil, O. (eds.) Chlorophyll a fluorescence in aquatic science : Methods and applications. Springer, Berlin, Developments in Applied Phycology vol. 4, 323 p.

2008

Brown, C.A., Huot, Y., Werdell, P. J., Gentili, B., Claustre, H., (2008), The origin and global distribution of second order variability in satellite ocean color and its potential applications to algorithm development. Remote Sens. Environ. doi:10.1016/j.rse.2008.06.008
Claustre, H., Huot, Y., Obernosterer, I., Gentili, B., Tailliez, D., Lewis, M. (2008), Gross community production and metabolic balance in the South Pacific Gyre, using a non intrusive biooptical method. Biogeosciences, 5:463-474
Huot, Y., Morel, A., Twardowski, M.S., Stramski, D., Reynolds, R.A., (2008), Particle optical backscattering along a chlorophyll gradient in the upper layer of the eastern South Pacific Ocean. Biogeosciences. 5:495-507
Rodolfo-Metalpa, R., Huot, Y., Richard, C., Ferrier-Pagès, C., (2008), Photoacclimation of mediterranean zooxanthelae living in symbiosis with Cladocora caespitosa. J. of Exp. Biol. 211:1579-1586
Uitz, J., Huot, Y., Bruyant, F., Babin, M., and Claustre, H. (2008). Relating phytoplankton photophysiological properties to community structure on large scale. Limnol. Oceanogr., 53:614-630

2007

Grob C., Ulloa, O., Claustre, H., Huot, Y., Alarcón, G., Marie, D. (2007). Contribution of picoplankton to the total particulate organic carbon (POC) concentration in the eastern South Pacific. Biogeosciences 4:837-852
Huot, Y., Babin, M., Bruyant, F., Grob, C., Twardowski, M. S., Claustre, H., (2007), Relationships between photosynthetic parameters and different proxies of phytoplankton biomass in the subtropical ocean. Biogeosciences 4:853-868
Huot, Y., Brown, C. A., and Cullen, J. J. (2007) Retrieval of phytoplankton biomass from simultaneous inversion of reflectance, the diffuse attenuation coefficient, and Sun-induced fluorescence in coastal waters. J. Geophys. Res., 112, C06013, doi:10.1029/2006JC003794.
Matsuoka, A., Huot, Y., Shimida, K., Saitoh, S-I., Babin, M. (2007) Bio-optical characteristics in the Western Arctic Ocean: Implications for ocean color algorithms. Can. J. Remote sens. 33:503-518.
Morel, A., Huot, Y., Gentili, B., Werdell, J. P., and Hooker, S. B., Franz, B. A. (2007) Examining the consistency of products derived from various ocean color sensors in open ocean (Case 1) waters in the perspective of a multi-sensor approach. Remote Sens. Environ. 111:69-88
Twardowski, M. S., Claustre, H., Freeman, S. A., Stramski, D., Huot, Y., (2007), Optical Backscattering Properties of the "clearest" natural waters. Biogeosciences, 4:1041-1058.

2005

Huot Y, Brown CA, and Cullen JJ. (2005). New algorithms for MODIS sun-induced chlorophyll fluorescence and a comparison with present data products. Limnology and Oceanography: Methods. appendix1.pdf appendix2.pdf

2004

Brown, C. A., Huot, Y., Purcell, M.J., Cullen, J.J., and Lewis, M.R. (2004) Mapping coastal optical and biogeochemical variability using an autonomous underwater vehicle and a new bio-optical inversion algorithm. Limnology and Oceanography: Methods 2: 262-281.
Lehmann MK, Davis RF, Huot Y, and Cullen JJ. (2004) Spectrally-weighted transparency in models of water-column photosynthesis and photoinhibition by ultraviolet radiation. Marine Ecology Progress Series 269: 101-110.

2003

Borra EF,. Content R, Tremblay G, Daigle A, and Huot Y. (2003) Mechanical and thermal tests of the containers of liquid mirrors. Experimental astronomy 15: 147-169.

2001

Callieri C, Morabito G, Huot Y, Neale PJ, Litchman E (2001) Photosynthetic response of pico- and nanoplanktonic algae to UVB, UVA and PAR in a high mountain lake. Aquatic Sciences 63:286-293.
Neale PJ, Litchman E, Sobrino C, Callieri C, Morabito G, Montecino V, Huot Y, Bossard P, Lehmann C, Steiner D. (2001) Quantifying the response of phytoplankton photosynthesis to ultraviolet radiation: Biological weighting functions versus in situ measurements in two Swiss lakes. Aquatic Sciences 63: 265-285.
Neale PJ, Bossard P, Huot Y, Sommaruga R. (2001) Incident and in situ irradiances in Lakes Cadagno and Lucerne: A comparison of methods and models. Aquatic Sciences 63 :250-264.

2000

Huot Y, Jeffrey WH, Davis RF, Cullen JJ (2000) DNA damage in bacterioplankton: a model of damage by ultraviolet radiation and its repair as influenced by vertical mixing. Photochemistry and Photobiology 72 :62-74.

1997

Borra EF, Tremblay G, Huot Y, Gauvin J. (1997) Gallium liquid mirrors: Basic technology, optical-shop tests and observations. Publication of the astronomical society of the Pacific 109 :319-325.

Books

2010

Huot, Y. and Babin, M. (2010) Overview of fluorescence protocols : Theory, basic concepts, and practice. Chap. 3, p. 31-74, in Suggett, D., Borowitzka, M.A. and Prasil, O. (eds.) Chlorophyll a fluorescence in aquatic science : Methods and applications. Springer, Berlin, Developments in Applied Phycology vol. 4, 323 p.